Hypnotherapy

Hypnosis is not new. It has been used in various styles for centuries. The current way hypnosis or modern hypnosis has been developed, and continues to develop, is from the work of many pioneers during the 1950s onwards. Such names as Milton Erickson, Dave Elman and many others.

I have had a formal training at the Essex Institute of Clinical Hypnosis, I continue to study and endeavour further understand this technique, and I now lecture on a hypnotherapy course in Berkshire.

Hypnosis is safe in every way, hypnosis is not a type of sleep but an altered state of awareness. Strangely, although you may well feel exceptionally relaxed, you can feel amazingly awake, a paradox I admit, but that is how many people including myself experience hypnosis. Ultimately the person who is hypnotised is in complete control, my belief is that I do not hypnotise anybody, I just act as a guide, helping my client find hypnosis.

You will only enter into hypnosis if you want to, you will not under any circumstances do or say anything that you do not wish to say or do! What about stage hypnosis acts I hear you say. Think about it, you go there for a laugh, those that volunteer want to do daft things, “walk like a chicken” so they do. I assure you if a stage hypnotist ‘suggested’ you do something that was so totally unacceptable to you, you would not do it!

Hypnosis embraces a number of techniques, but in my mind falls into two clear aspects: suggestion and analysis. Suggestion speaks for itself here whilst in this altered state, carefully worded suggestions are aimed at the subconscious, and if acceptable will be accepted by the subject. This is not that odd or weird, this is the world of the stage show, and the commonly talked about, stop smoking sessions familiar to many. Remember we are all suggestible all of the time. This is the basis of the advertising industry. All hypnosis does is increase that suggestibility.

Analysis is different, here whilst in trance (hypnosis) you the client are encouraged to go back through times and recall past events. The emotional or unhelpful aspects of some of these events are released leading to positive change. This technique does not work for everyone and is not always successful, but can be life changing. There are critics of this approach and I have read web pages that accuse therapists, like me, of all sorts of horrors, but I know from my own clinical experience that this is a safe and effective method of change.

A competent hypnotist can help you address a number of problems from phobias, to more tricky personal problems. If you feel that hypnosis can help, then please call me and discuss this further, without obligation or cost.